For children, - Sincerity (Ikhlas) in Islam: Three Persons in a Cave(Sincere Faith and Worship)

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Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) has related: "Three persons from the tribe of Bani Israel got together and started out on a journey. On the way, clouds gathered above them and it started to pour with rain and so they sought shelter in a nearby cave.
Suddenly, a large boulder slipped and blocked the entrance to the cave, trapping the three inside and transforming the day into a dark night for them. They had no other alternative except to turn to Allahn (SWT) for help.
"Let us use our sincere deeds as a means to obtain deliverance from this predicament," suggested one of them. All the others agreed with the suggestion.
One of them said, "O' Lord! You are aware that I have an extremely attractive cousin and that I was infatuated and obsessed with her. One day, finding her alone, I took hold of her and wanted to satisfy my carnal desires, when she spoke out to me saying: O' My cousin! Fear Allah (SWT) and do not harm my chastity. Hearing this, I crushed my lustful tendencies and decided against the evil act. O' Lord! If that deed of mine had been out of absolute sincerity and only for the purpose of acquiring Your pleasure, deliver us from grief and perdition."
Suddenly they witnessed that the huge boulder had moved away a little, faintly brightening up the interior of the cave.
The second person spoke out, "O' Lord! You know that I had a father and a mother, so old that their bodies had bent over due to their excessive age, and that I used to tend to them regularly. One night, having brought them their food, I observed that both of them were asleep. I passed the entire night near them, the food in hand, without waking them up for fear of disturbing them. O' Lord! If this deed of mine had been only for the sake of Your pleasure and happiness, open up a way for us and grant us salvation."
As he completed his speech, the group noticed that the boulder had moved aside a little more.
The third person supplicated, "O' Knower of every hidden and manifest! You know Yourself that I had a worker who used to work for me. When his term had reached its termination, I handed over to him his wages, but he was not pleased and desired more and, in a state of dissatisfaction and displeasure, he went away. I used his wage to purchase a goat, which I looked after separately and very soon I had a flock in my possession. After a period of time, the worker again approached me for his wage and I pointed towards the flock of sheep. Initially, he thought I was ridiculing him, but later, realizing my seriousness, took the entire flock and left. O' Lord! If this act had been prompted by sincerity and had only been for Your pleasure, deliver us from this quandary."
At this point the entire boulder moved aside from the mouth of the cave and all three emerged from it, joyous and ecstatic, and continued their journey.

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For children, - Sincerity (Ikhlas) in Islam: Three Persons in a Cave(Sincere Faith and Worship)

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Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) has related: "Three persons from the tribe of Bani Israel got together and started out on a journey. On the way, clouds gathered above them and it started to pour with rain and so they sought shelter in a nearby cave.
Suddenly, a large boulder slipped and blocked the entrance to the cave, trapping the three inside and transforming the day into a dark night for them. They had no other alternative except to turn to Allahn (SWT) for help.
"Let us use our sincere deeds as a means to obtain deliverance from this predicament," suggested one of them. All the others agreed with the suggestion.
One of them said, "O' Lord! You are aware that I have an extremely attractive cousin and that I was infatuated and obsessed with her. One day, finding her alone, I took hold of her and wanted to satisfy my carnal desires, when she spoke out to me saying: O' My cousin! Fear Allah (SWT) and do not harm my chastity. Hearing this, I crushed my lustful tendencies and decided against the evil act. O' Lord! If that deed of mine had been out of absolute sincerity and only for the purpose of acquiring Your pleasure, deliver us from grief and perdition."
Suddenly they witnessed that the huge boulder had moved away a little, faintly brightening up the interior of the cave.
The second person spoke out, "O' Lord! You know that I had a father and a mother, so old that their bodies had bent over due to their excessive age, and that I used to tend to them regularly. One night, having brought them their food, I observed that both of them were asleep. I passed the entire night near them, the food in hand, without waking them up for fear of disturbing them. O' Lord! If this deed of mine had been only for the sake of Your pleasure and happiness, open up a way for us and grant us salvation."
As he completed his speech, the group noticed that the boulder had moved aside a little more.
The third person supplicated, "O' Knower of every hidden and manifest! You know Yourself that I had a worker who used to work for me. When his term had reached its termination, I handed over to him his wages, but he was not pleased and desired more and, in a state of dissatisfaction and displeasure, he went away. I used his wage to purchase a goat, which I looked after separately and very soon I had a flock in my possession. After a period of time, the worker again approached me for his wage and I pointed towards the flock of sheep. Initially, he thought I was ridiculing him, but later, realizing my seriousness, took the entire flock and left. O' Lord! If this act had been prompted by sincerity and had only been for Your pleasure, deliver us from this quandary."
At this point the entire boulder moved aside from the mouth of the cave and all three emerged from it, joyous and ecstatic, and continued their journey.

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Sacrifices, Dought & clear, - * Is it permissible forthe one who wants to offer an udhiyah to comb her hair using a hairdryer?

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Is it permissible for the one who wants to offer an udhiyah to comb her hair using a hairdryer, seeing that some of her hair will inevitably fall out when using it?
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible for the one who wants to offer an udhiyah to remove anything from his hair, nails or skin, once the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah begins, until he has offered his udhiyah, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When the ten (days of Dhu’l-Hijjah) begin, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let nothing touch his hair or skin.”
Narrated by Muslim (1977).
With regard to combing the hair, if he combs it gently without deliberately causing hair to fall out, then that is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it, especially for women, because their need to wash and comb their hair is greater.
But if dealing with the hair will cause hair to break or fall out, then it is not permissible, because that comes under the ruling on removing some of it, and the one who wants to offer an udhiyah is forbidden to remove anything of the hair; in that regard he is like the pilgrim in ihram.
It says inal-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah(11/179): If the pilgrim in ihram is certain that hair will fall out as a result of combing it, then there is no difference of opinion among the fuqaha’ that doing so is haraam in that case. End quote.
Al-‘Iraqi said inTarh at-Tathreeb(5/33): Undoing the hair and combing it are permissible when in ihram, if that will not lead to hair falling out. End quote.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said: The one who wants to offer an udhiyah should not remove anything from his hair, nails or skin once the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah begins, until he has offered his sacrifice. As for combing the hair without cutting it, there is nothing wrong with that.
End quote fromFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(11/428)
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: I decided to offer an udhiyah but a few days after the beginning of Dhu’l-Hijjah I combed my beard and some hairs fell out when I combed it; should I comb it or not?
He replied: If any hairs fall out of the beard when combing it, without you doing that deliberately, that is pardoned, because they are regarded as dead hairs. The same applies if any hair falls from the head or beard of the pilgrim in ihram when he does wudoo’ or ghusl, without him doing that deliberately; it is pardoned because it is dead hair. The same ruling applies to the one who decides to offer an udhiyah after the first ten days have begun. What is prohibited is deliberately cutting something of that after entering ihram or after the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah have begun, for the one who intends to offer an udhiyah.
End quote fromFataawa Islamiyyah(2/713)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on combing the hair during the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah, before offering the udhiyah, for one who is not doing Hajj?
He replied:
When the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah begin, if a person intends to offer an udhiyah, then he is not allowed to remove anything of his hair, nails or skin. But if a woman needs to comb her hair during these days, and she intends to offer an udhiyah, there is nothing wrong with her combing her hair, but she should do so gently. Then if any hair falls out without intending it to, there is no sin on her, because she did not comb her hair for the purpose of making it fall out; rather it was for the purpose of making it neat, and the hair fell out without her intending it to.
End quote fromNoor ‘ala ad-Darb(9/5 8)
To sum up:
Combing the hair is not haraam for the one who wants to offer an udhiyah. A woman should comb her hair gently, and if any dead hairs fall out, there is no blame on her. The same applies if any of her hairs break without intending them to; there is no blame on her.
But if a person deliberately cuts the hair, or knows or thinks it most likely that combing will make some hair that is not dead fall out, then he should not do that.
If the hairdryer helps with combing and tidying the hair, and will not cause any but dead hair to fall out, then there is nothing wrong with using it.
But if it is known that using it will lead to breakage of the hair and causing it to fall out, then it is not permissible.
And Allah knows best.

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Sacrifices, Dought & clear, - * Is it permissible to offer a pregnant animal as an udhiyah?

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Is it permissible for us to offer a pregnant animal as an udhiyah? If that is permissible, then what should we do with the foetus?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The udhiyah is one of the rituals of Islam that is prescribed by the Book of Allah, may He be exalted, and the Sunnah of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and by the consensus of the Muslims. This has been discussed in fatwa no. 36432.
For information on the conditions of the udhiyah, please see fatwa no. 36755.
Secondly:
The scholars differed as to whether it is permissible to offer a pregnant livestock animal as an udhiyah. The majority are of the view that it is permissible to offer it as an udhiyah, and they did not mention pregnancy among the faults or defects that render an animal unacceptable as an udhiyah.
The Shaafa‘is differed from that, and were of the view that a pregnant animal should not be offered as an udhiyah.
It says inal-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah(16/281):
The majority of fuqaha’ did not mention pregnancy as a defect with regard to the udhiyah, apart from the Shaafa‘is, who stated clearly that a pregnant animal is not acceptable as an udhiyah, because pregnancy affects the meat. End quote.
It says inHaashiyat al-Bujayrami ‘ala al-Khateeb(4/335), which is a Shaafa‘i book:
The pregnant animal is not acceptable, and this is the view of our madhhab, because pregnancy affects the meat. Rather it is regarded as acceptable in the case of zakaah, because what is sought in that case is the offspring, not the quality of the meat. End quote.
The correct view is that a pregnant livestock animal is acceptable as an udhiyah, if there is no other defect in it. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is acceptable to sacrifice a pregnant sheep, if it is free of the defects mentioned in conjunction with sacrificial animals.
End quote fromFataawa wa Rasaa’il ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem(6/146)
Thirdly:
If the foetus is extracted alive, then it should be slaughtered in the prescribed manner and may be eaten.
Ibn Qudaamah said inal-Mughni(9/321):
If it is extracted alive and in stable condition, and it could be slaughtered, but it is not slaughtered until it dies, then it is not regarded as having been slaughtered in the prescribed manner. Ahmad said: If it is extracted alive, then it must be slaughtered in the prescribed manner, because it is a separate soul. End quote.
If it is extracted dead, then the majority of scholars are of the view that it may also be eaten, because it is as if it was slaughtered when its mother was slaughtered in the prescribed manner.
Abu Dawood (2828), at-Tirmidhi (1476 – and he classed it as saheeh), Ibn Maajah (3199) and Ahmad (10950) narrated from Abu Sa‘eed that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The foetus is slaughtered when its mother is slaughtered (in the prescribed manner).” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami‘(3431).
This – as we have mentioned – is the view of the majority of scholars, with the exception of the Hanafis.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said inMajmoo‘ al-Fataawa(26/307):
Sacrificing a pregnant animal as an udhiyah is permissible. If the foetus is extracted dead, then its slaughter was the slaughter of its mother, according to ash-Shaafa‘i, Ahmad and others, regardless of whether it had any hair or not. If it was extracted alive, then it should be slaughtered.
The view of Maalik is that is if it had hair, it is permissible, otherwise it is not.
According Abu Haneefah, it is not permissible unless it is slaughtered in the prescribed manner after it is extracted. End quote.
This issue has previously been discussed in detail, and we noted that some of the scholars regarded it preferable not to eat the foetus from a medical point of view.
And Allah knows best.

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Sacrifices, Dought & clear, - * Can an unmarried woman offer the udhiyah (sacrifice) on her own behalf?

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Can an unmarried woman offer the udhiyah (sacrifice) on her own behalf?
Praise be to Allah.
Offering the udhiyah is a confirmed Sunnah for the one who is able to do so, whether man or woman. That has been discussed previously in question no. 36432. It makes no difference whether the woman is married or not.
Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Muhalla(6/37): The udhiyah (may be offered by) the traveller as is also the case for one who is not travelling, and it makes no difference. The same applies to women, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“and do good” [al-Hajj 22:77], and offering the udhiyah is a good deed. All the people we have mentioned need to do good deeds and are encouraged to do so. We also quoted the words of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning offering the udhiyah, and he did not single out the Bedouin to the exclusion of the town dweller, or the traveller to the exclusion of the resident, or the male to the exclusion of the female. So singling out any of these categories is invalid and is not permissible. End quote.
If a woman wants to offer an udhiyah on her own behalf or on behalf of the members of her household, then she comes under the same injunctions as men, which means that she should not remove anything from her hair, nails or skin, because of the report narrated by Muslim (1977) from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him leave his hair and nails alone.” According to another version: “When the ten (days of Dhu’l-Hijjah) begin, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let nothing touch his hair or skin.”
And Allah knows best.

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For children, - Importance of Salah in Islam: Salah Timings(Prayer according to Islam, Salah Time)

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He remembered his grandmother's warning about praying Salah (Salat, Namaz) on time: "My son, you shouldn't leave Salah (Salat, Namaz) to this late time". His grandmother's age was 70 but whenever she heard the Adhan, grandmothergot up like an arrow and performed Salah (Salat, Namaz). He however could never win over his ego to get up and pray Salah (Salat, Namaz). Whatever he did, his Salah was always the last to be offered and he prayed it quickly to get it in on time. Thinking of this, he got up and realized that there were only 15 minutes left before Salat ul Isha. He quickly made Wudu (Ablution) and performed Salat ul Maghrib. While making Tasbih (Glorification) of Fatimah Zahra (sa), he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed Salah (Salat, Namaz). His grandmother prayed with such tranquility and peace. He began making Dua and went down to make Sajda (prostrating) and stayed like that for a while.
He had been at school all day and was tired, so tired. He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and shouting. He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every direction he looked in was filled with people. Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting. Pure fear and apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.
His heart was about to burst. It was the Day of Judgment. When he was alive, he had heard many things about the questioning on the Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago. Could this be something his mind made up? No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imagined this. The interrogation was still going on. He began moving frantically from people to people to ask if his name had been called. No one could answer him. All of a sudden his name was called and the crowd split into two and made a passageway for him. Two people grabbed his arms and led him forward. He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd. The angels brought him to the center and left him there. His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his eyes like a movie. He opened his eyes but saw only another world. The people were all helping others. He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of Islam. His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was being cleared.
He pleaded his case; "I too was always on this path. I helped others. I spread the word of Allah (SWT). I performed my Salah (Salat, Namaz). I fasted in the month of Ramadan. Whatever Allah (SWT) ordered us to do, I did. Whatever Allah (SWT) ordered us not to do, I did not."
He began to cry and think about how much he loved Allah (SWT). He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah (SWT) deserved and his only protector was Allah (SWT). He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over. His eyes were fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision. At last, the decision was made. The two angels with sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd. His legs felt like they were going to collapse. He closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam (Hell). His name was read first. He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn't be, "How could I go to Jahannam? I served others all my life, I spread the word of Allah (SWT) to others". His eyes had become blurry and he was shaking with sweat. The two angels took him by the arms. As his feet dragged, they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam. He was yelling and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him. He was yelling of all the good deeds he had done, how he had helped his father, his fasts, prayers, the Noble Qur'an that he read, he was asking if none of them would help him. The Jahannam angels continued to drag him. They had gotten closer to the Hellfire. He looked back and these were his last pleas. Had not Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said, "How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah (Salat, Namaz) performed five times cleanse someone of their sins"? He began yelling, "My prayers? My prayers? My prayers?"
The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam. The flames of the fire were burning his face. He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had nothing left in him. One of the angels pushed him in. He found himself in the air and falling towards the flames. He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He lifted his head and saw an old man with a long white beard. He wiped some dust off himself and asked him, "Who are you?" The old man replied, "I am your Salah (Salat, Namaz) prayers".
"Why are you so late? I was almost in the Fire! You rescued me at the last minute before I fell in". The old man smiled and shook his head, "You always performed me at the last minute, and did you forget?" At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from Sajda (prostrating). He was in a sweat. He listened to the voices coming from outside. He heard the adhan for Salat ul Isha. He got up quickly and went to perform Wudu (Ablution).
Say Your Prayers Before Prayers For You Are Said (Namaz Parha Karo Is Se Pehle Ke Tumhari Namaz Parhi Jaye).

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * Is it prescribed to make up the regular Sunnah prayers that should be offered before and after Zuhr by offering them after ‘Asr because of an excuse?

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I pray the noon prayer on campus, but my classes start before noon and end after the afternoon prayer is performed, with no enough time between classes, so I pray the noon prayer only without the stressed practices for lack of time. if I arrive at class after the professor, I am not allowed to attend the class. Sometimes, I don't even have enough time to get to the place of prayer, so I pray in a secluded space inside the hall.
Is it permitted to pray the stressed practices when I get home following the afternoon prayers? And what should I do about stressed pre-practices ?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is prescribed to make up the regular Sunnah prayers (al-sunan al-rawaatib) if they are missed because of an excuse such as sleeping, forgetting or being too busy to do them, which led to one not offering them at the proper time. So they may be made up even at times when prayer is not allowed, according to the correct scholarly opinion. That is because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1233) and Muslim (834) from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr; she asked him about that and he said, “Some people from ‘Abd al-Qays came to me and distracted me from offering the two rak‘ahs that come after Zuhr, so these are they.”
And Ibn Maajah (1154) narrated that Qays ibn ‘Amr said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man praying two rak‘ahs after Fajr. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Fajr prayer twice?” The man said to him: I did not pray the two rak‘ahs that come before it, so I prayed them (now). And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not say anything. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Ibn Maajah, 948.
And al-Tirmidhi (426) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not pray four rak‘ahs before Zuhr, he would pray them afterwards. Classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The correct view is our opinion is that it is mustahabb to make up the regular Sunnah prayers (al-sunan al-rawaatib). This is the view of Muhammad, al-Muzani, and Ahmad according to one report. Abu Haneefah, Maalik and Abu Yoosuf, according to the more well-known report from them, said: They should not be made up; our evidence is these saheeh hadeeths. End quote.al-Majmoo‘, 4/43
Al-Mardaawi al-Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words “and whoever misses any of these Sunnah prayers, it is prescribed for him to make them up”– this is our madhhab (the madhhab of Imam Ahmad) and is the well known view according to our companions. End quote.al-Insaaf, 2/187
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If one of the regular Sunnah prayers, such as the Sunnah prayer of Zuhr, is missed, can it be made up after ‘Asr? There are two views both of which were narrated from Ahmad. One of them is that it may not be made up; this is the view of Abu Haneefah and Maalik. The other view is that it may be made up. This is the view of al-Shaafa‘i and it is stronger. And Allah knows best. End quote.Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 23/127
Based on the above, if you are not able to offer the regular Sunnah prayers before and after Zuhr at the proper time, it is prescribed for you to offer them after ‘Asr.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to delay the Sunnah prayer that is offered before Zuhr, as we start Zuhr prayer, then after approximately one hour we offer the Sunnah prayers that come before and after, because the time allowed for us to pray where we are studying outside the Kingdom is only enough to do wudoo’ and offer the (obligatory) prayer only?
He replied:
If a person delays the Sunnah prayer that should be offered before until after the prayer, if that is because of an excuse then there is nothing wrong with him making it up later on, and it is acceptable. But if he had no excuse, then it is not acceptable. What the questioner has mentioned about the time only being enough to do wudoo’ and offer the obligatory prayer is an excuse; based on that, it is permissible to make up the Sunnah prayer that should come before after the prayer, but in this case one should start with the Sunnah that comes after the obligatory prayer, then make up the Sunnah that comes before.
And Allah knows best.

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * Is it prescribed to make up the regular Sunnah prayers that should be offered before and after Zuhr by offering them after ‘Asr because of an excuse?

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I pray the noon prayer on campus, but my classes start before noon and end after the afternoon prayer is performed, with no enough time between classes, so I pray the noon prayer only without the stressed practices for lack of time. if I arrive at class after the professor, I am not allowed to attend the class. Sometimes, I don't even have enough time to get to the place of prayer, so I pray in a secluded space inside the hall.
Is it permitted to pray the stressed practices when I get home following the afternoon prayers? And what should I do about stressed pre-practices ?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is prescribed to make up the regular Sunnah prayers (al-sunan al-rawaatib) if they are missed because of an excuse such as sleeping, forgetting or being too busy to do them, which led to one not offering them at the proper time. So they may be made up even at times when prayer is not allowed, according to the correct scholarly opinion. That is because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1233) and Muslim (834) from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr; she asked him about that and he said, “Some people from ‘Abd al-Qays came to me and distracted me from offering the two rak‘ahs that come after Zuhr, so these are they.”
And Ibn Maajah (1154) narrated that Qays ibn ‘Amr said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man praying two rak‘ahs after Fajr. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Fajr prayer twice?” The man said to him: I did not pray the two rak‘ahs that come before it, so I prayed them (now). And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not say anything. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Ibn Maajah, 948.
And al-Tirmidhi (426) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not pray four rak‘ahs before Zuhr, he would pray them afterwards. Classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The correct view is our opinion is that it is mustahabb to make up the regular Sunnah prayers (al-sunan al-rawaatib). This is the view of Muhammad, al-Muzani, and Ahmad according to one report. Abu Haneefah, Maalik and Abu Yoosuf, according to the more well-known report from them, said: They should not be made up; our evidence is these saheeh hadeeths. End quote.al-Majmoo‘, 4/43
Al-Mardaawi al-Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words “and whoever misses any of these Sunnah prayers, it is prescribed for him to make them up”– this is our madhhab (the madhhab of Imam Ahmad) and is the well known view according to our companions. End quote.al-Insaaf, 2/187
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If one of the regular Sunnah prayers, such as the Sunnah prayer of Zuhr, is missed, can it be made up after ‘Asr? There are two views both of which were narrated from Ahmad. One of them is that it may not be made up; this is the view of Abu Haneefah and Maalik. The other view is that it may be made up. This is the view of al-Shaafa‘i and it is stronger. And Allah knows best. End quote.Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 23/127
Based on the above, if you are not able to offer the regular Sunnah prayers before and after Zuhr at the proper time, it is prescribed for you to offer them after ‘Asr.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to delay the Sunnah prayer that is offered before Zuhr, as we start Zuhr prayer, then after approximately one hour we offer the Sunnah prayers that come before and after, because the time allowed for us to pray where we are studying outside the Kingdom is only enough to do wudoo’ and offer the (obligatory) prayer only?
He replied:
If a person delays the Sunnah prayer that should be offered before until after the prayer, if that is because of an excuse then there is nothing wrong with him making it up later on, and it is acceptable. But if he had no excuse, then it is not acceptable. What the questioner has mentioned about the time only being enough to do wudoo’ and offer the obligatory prayer is an excuse; based on that, it is permissible to make up the Sunnah prayer that should come before after the prayer, but in this case one should start with the Sunnah that comes after the obligatory prayer, then make up the Sunnah that comes before.
And Allah knows best.

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * In what order missed prayers should be made up

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Suppose I miss out 2 prayers. Now in which sequence should I complete my prayers.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is obligatory to make up missed prayers in the proper order, according to the majority of scholars.
Ibn Qudaamah said (al-Mughni, 1/352): In conclusion, it is essential to offer missed prayers in order. This was stated by Ahmad in several places… and a similar view was narrated from al-Nakha’i, al-Zuhri, Rabee’ah, Yahya al-Ansaari, Maalik, al-Layth, Abu Haneefah and Ishaaq.
Al-Shaafa’i said: It is not essential, because one is making up an obligatory prayer that has been missed, so it is not essential to offer them in order, as with fasting… Once this is established, then it is essential to offer them in order even if they are many. This was stated by Ahmad.
Maalik and Abu Haneefah said that they do not have to be offered in order if there are more than a day and a night of prayers, because doing that with regard to more than that period would be too difficult. So the obligation is waived, just like making up missed Ramadaan fasts in sequence.
End quote from al-Mughni, 1/352.
From this it may be understood that offering missed prayers should be done in sequence according to the majority of Hanafis, Maalikis and Hanbalis, except that the Hanafis and Maalikis do not say it is obligatory if the prayers of more than one day and one night have been missed.
The way in which the missed prayers are made up in order is to do the missed prayers in the same order as the prescribed prayers. So whoever misses Zuhr and ‘Asr, for example, should pray Zuhr first, then ‘Asr.
But the obligation to do them in order is waived in the case of one who forgets or was ignorant, or if there is the fear that the time for the current prayer will end soon, or if one fears missing out on a prayer in congregation – according to the more correct view.
If a person owes two prayers, Zuhr and ‘Asr for example, and starts with ‘Asr by mistake or because he is unaware that the missed prayers should be offered in order, his prayer is valid.
If he fears that if he starts with the prayers he missed the time for ‘Asr prayer will end, then he should pray ‘Asr first, then pray whatever prayers he owes.
Similarly if he enters the mosque, should he offer the current prayer with the congregation or make up what he has missed first? Ahmad, according to one report which was also favoured by Shaykh al-Islam, was of the view that he does not have to offer the prayers in sequence if he fears that he will miss out on praying with the congregation.
But in this case he should join the congregation with the intention of offering the missed prayer. So if a person has missed Zuhr and he comes to the mosque and they are praying ‘Asr, he can pray with the congregation with the intention of praying Zuhr, and it does not matter if his intention is different from that of the imam. Then he can pray ‘Asr after that.
Seeal-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/138-144.
And Allaah knows best.

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * They lived under Communist rule and did not know anything about praying and fasting; dothey have to make it up?

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I am a Muslim woman from Bulgaria. We were living under Communist rule and we did not know anything about Islam; in fact many acts of worship were banned. I did not know anything about Islam until I reached the age of twenty, and after that I began to adhere to the laws of Allah.
My question is: do I have to make up what I missed of prayer and fasting?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We praise Allah for saving you from unjust and oppressive communist rule after it suppressed the Muslims for more than forty years, during which mosques were destroyed and some were turned into museums, Islamic schools were abolished and they strove to change Muslim names and wipe out Muslim identity.
“but Allâh will not allow except that His Light should be perfected even though the Kâfirûn (disbelievers) hate (it)” [al-Tawbah 9:32 – interpretation of the meaning].
Communist rule, with its tyranny and oppression, ended in 1989, to the great joy of the Muslims, who went back to their ancient mosques, which they refurbished and renovated. They went back to teaching their children Qur’aan and the hijab of Muslim women appeared again in the streets. We ask Allah to bring the Muslims back to their religion in the best way and to support them and grant them victory and defeat their enemies.
Secondly:
A generation of Muslims grew up in Bulgaria under the oppression of Communist rule and they did not know anything about Islam apart from the fact that they were Muslims. The communist regime prevented them from learning Islam and even banned the import of the Holy Qur’aan and Islamic books into Bulgaria.
Those who did not know anything about the rulings of Islam and Islamic worship and other duties are not obliged to make up any of those acts of worship. If the Muslim was not able to acquire Islamic knowledge and the rulings of sharee‘ah did not reach him, then he is not obliged to do anything because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allâh burdens not a person beyond his scope”
[al-Baqarah 2:286].
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
There is no difference of opinion among the Muslims that if a person was living in dar al-kufr (non-Muslim lands) and he believed but he was unable to migrate (to a Muslim land), he is not obliged to observe Islamic rituals and laws that he is unable to; rather he is only obliged to do what he is able to. The same applies to matters concerning which he did not know the rulings. If he did not know that prayer was obligatory for him and he did not pray for a while, he does not have to make up those prayers according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and the literalists, and it is one of the two views of the madhhab of Ahmad.
The same applies to all the other duties such as fasting the month of Ramadan, paying zakaah, and so on.
If he did not know that alcohol is haraam and he drank it, then he is not to be subjected to the hadd punishment, according to Muslim consensus. They only differed with regard to whether he has to make up the prayers…
The basic issue with regard to all of this is: are the laws obligatory for one who did not know them or is it the case that no one is under any obligation until after he comes to know?
The correct view concerning this matter is that there is no obligation to adhere to a ruling unless there is the possibility of acquiring knowledge thereof, and nothing has to be made up if it was not known that it is obligatory. It is proven inal-Saheehthat some of the Sahaabah ate after dawn in Ramadan until they could tell the white thread apart from the black thread, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not instruct them to make up those fasts. Some of them used to remain in a state of janaabah (impurity following sexual activity or nocturnal emissions for which ghusl or full ablution is required) for a while and not pray; they did not know that it is permissible to pray with tayammum (dry ablution) – as happened to Abu Dharr, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and ‘Ammaar. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not instruct any of them to make up the prayers.
No doubt some Muslims in Makkah and in the wilderness continued to pray facing towards Jerusalem until news reached them that that had been abrogated (and the qiblah had been changed to the Ka‘bah), but they were not instructed to repeat those prayers. And there are many similar examples. This reflects the principle that the early generation and the majority of scholars followed, namely that Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. Things are only obligatory when one is able to do them, and the punishment only applies when one fails to do something that is enjoined or does something that is forbidden, after proof has been established. End quote.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 19/225
Based on that, you do not have to make up any of the acts of worship that you did not know were obligatory.
Our advice to you is to focus on learning the rulings of Islam and gaining understanding of the religion; try hard to learn Islam and follow it, and teach the next generation of Muslims, so that they will be able to face the challenges that face all Muslims, and especially in your country.
We ask Allah to cause Islam and the Muslims to prevail.
And Allah knows best.

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For children, - Sincerity (Ikhlas) in Islam: Shaitan and the Pious Worshipper(Sincere Worship and Faith)

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In the tribe of Bani Israel, there once lived a pious worshipper. One day, the people informed him that at a certain location, there existed a tree that was being worshipped by a tribe. When he heard this, the man flew into a rage, picked up his axe and set out to cut down the tree.
Shaitan, appearing before him in the form of an old man, asked, "Where are you headed for?" Pious worshipper replied, "I intend to cut down the tree, which is being worshipped so that the people worship Allah (SWT) instead."
"Hold yourself till you hear what I have to say," said Shaitan to him.
The pious worshipper urged him to carry on. Shaitan continued, "Allah (SWT) has His own Prophets and if it had been essential to cut down the tree, He would have sent them to perform the task."
However, the pious worshipper did not agree with Shaitan and continued on his way.
"There is no way I shall let you do it," said Shaitan angrily, and he began to wrestle with the pious worshipper. In the ensuing contest, the pious worshipper hurled Shaitan onto the ground.
"Wait! I have something else to say to you", pleaded Shaitan.
"Listen! You are a poor man. If you could possess some wealth by means of which you could give alms to the other worshippers it would be much better than cutting the tree. If you refrain from cutting the tree, I shall place two dinars beneath your pillow everyday."
The pious worshipper said thoughtfully, "If you speak the truth, I shall give one dinar in charity while the other dinar I shall put to my use. This is better than cutting down the tree; in any case, I have neither been ordered to perform this task nor am I a Prophet to burden myself with unnecessary grief and anxiety."
Thus, pious worshipper acceded to the request of Shaitan who left him alone. For two days, he received the two dinars and utilized them, but on the third day, there was no sign of the dinars. Upset and distressed, he picked up his axe and set out to cut down the tree.
On the way, pious worshipper encountered Shaitan, who asked him: "Where are you headed for?"
"I am going to cut that tree." Replied pious worshipper
"There is no way you are going to do it," said Shaitan
Once again they began to contest, but this time Shaitan overcame him and hurling him to the ground, ordered, "Turn back or I shall sever your head from your body."
The pious worshipper said, "Leave me alone and I shall return, but tell me, how was it that I had managed to overcome you on the previous occasion?"
Shaitan answered, "On that occasion, you had set out only for Allah (SWT) and you were sincere in your intention as a result of which, Allah (SWT) subjugated me for you, but this time you were angry for your own self and for your dinars and so I could overpower you."
He (the Shaitan) said, 'By Your Glory, I shall seduce all of them (children of Adam) except Your sincere servants among them'. Noble Qur'an (38:82-3)
Lesson to learn from this Real Life Story, Sincere Worship and Faith:
Before any action we take, we must be clear in our minds that the action is in accordance with the commands of Allah (SWT). This can be done by constant thinking and true understanding of the aim of our life. We have to understand what Allah (SWT) really wants from us.
Say. Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Noble Qur'an (6:162)

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * Her nifaas (postpartum bleeding) continued for nine months and she did not pray during that time

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My friend continued to bleed following childbirth (nifaas) for nine months, and she did not pray during that time except rarely. What should she do now?
If we say that the maximum length of nifaas is 60 days, then she still has six months of prayers to make up. How can she make them up?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We have previously discussed the difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the maximum length of nifaas; the most correct view is that it is forty days. See the answer to question no. 10488.
Secondly:
With regard to the bleeding that occurs after the period of nifaas has ended, if it comes at the usual time of the menstrual period, then it is menses and the woman should not pray or fast or have intercourse with her husband at that time, until her monthly period has ended, as is well known.
If it occurs at a time other than the usual time of the menstrual period, then it is istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding) and in this case she should fast and pray, and her husband may have intercourse with her. But she has to do wudoo’ for each obligatory prayer after the time for it begins, then with that wudoo’ she may offer whatever naafil prayers she wishes.
For more information please see the answer to question no. 106464
Thirdly:
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed concerning the case of a woman suffering istihaadah if she refrains from praying out of ignorance: does she have to make up the prayers that she omitted? There are two opinions:
1. That she has to make up the prayers.
2. That she does not have to make up the prayers. This is the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If the woman who is suffering istihaadah did not pray for some time because she thought that it was not obligatory for her to pray, there are two opinions as to whether it is obligatory for her to make up the prayers. One opinion is that she does not have to make them up – as was narrated from Maalik and others – because when the woman who was suffering from istihaadah said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “I have been bleeding heavily for some time and it prevents me from praying and fasting,” he told her what she should do in the future, and he did not tell her to make up the prayers of the past. End quote fromMajmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 21/102
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is best if you pray what you omitted during the early days, but if you do not do that there is nothing wrong with it, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told the woman who was suffering from istihaadah and who said that she was suffering heavy bleeding during which she did not pray to count her menses as six or seven days and to pray the rest of the month, but he did not tell her to make up the prayers that she had omitted. If she does make up the prayers that she missed, this is good, because it may be that she was heedless in not asking, but if she does not make them up there is no sin on her. End quote fromMajmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/276
To be on the safe side, your friend should make up the prayers that she missed as much as she is able to. So every day she should make up whatever she can of the prayers that she omitted during this time, because it seems that there was a kind of heedlessness on her part as she did not ask even though the time during which she did not pray was lengthy, and usually one does not stop praying for so long. Moreover, she used to pray sometimes, which indicates that perhaps she knew that she should be praying.
And Allah knows best.

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * She stopped praying when she was sick, then she died; do her heirs have to do anything?

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My mother died, and she owed two months’ prayers because of cancer; she was intending to make them up. She also owes the fast of the Ramadan before the last, when she was healthy. My question is: what is the correct action with regard to her acts of worship? Please note that I have sisters; can we cooperate to make up these acts of worship (on her behalf)? Will the reward of Hajj reach her (if it is done on her behalf), because she did not do Hajj?
Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
Prayer is one of the greatest pillars of Islam after the Shahaadatayn (twin declaration of faith). What the Muslim must do is always offer the prayers regularly and on time; this duty is not waived so long as he is of sound mind.
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 95220.
Secondly:
You did not say whether your mother had become unconscious and thus was not aware of anything, or not. However it appears from your question that she was of sound mind at the time of her illness, based on the fact that she intended to make up those prayers. In general, the one who does not pray in the case of illness must come under one of the following two scenarios:
1. He stopped praying when he was sick because he had lost his mind or lost consciousness. In this case he does not have to do anything, in sha Allah, and he is not obliged to make up the prayers when he recovers after that.
2. He stopped praying when he was sick but was still of sound mind; but he stopped praying because he thought that prayer was not obligatory for him in that situation. In this case, perhaps Allah will pardon him because of his ignorance, although what the individual is required to do is to learn what he must know of his religion.
In either case, the prayers are not to be made up on his behalf if he dies after that.
It says inFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(25/257):
If your father was unconscious at the time of his illness and did not understand anything, then the obligation of prayer was waived in his case, and he is not accountable when he is in this state. The condition of being accountable for prayer is that the individual should be of sound mind (and not unconscious), and that was not the case here. But if he was not unconscious and was of sound mind, but he did not pray because he was unaware that it is obligatory for people in his situation to pray according to what they are able to do, then perhaps Allah will pardon him and excuse him because he was unaware of that, and because there was no one who could explain the shar‘i ruling to him before he died – may Allah have mercy on him and forgive him. In either case, it is not permissible for you to offer any of the prayers on your father’s behalf, because one cannot pray on behalf of anyone else. The basic ruling is that prayer cannot be delegated to another person. End quote.
Thirdly:
With regard to making up the fasts, if she did not make them up with no excuse, then it is mustahabb for you to fast on her behalf, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1952) and Muslim (1935) from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If anyone dies still owing fasts, let his heir fast on his behalf.”
For more information, please see the answers to questions no. 130283and 130647
It is permissible for making up of the fasts on behalf of the deceased to be done by one heir for all of the days, or it may be done by a number of heirs.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Question: If we follow the more correct opinion, which is that fasting includes that which is obligatory because of basic Islamic teachings and that which is obligatory because of a vow (nadhr), does that mean that this (making up the fasts of behalf of the deceased) is to be done by one of the heirs only, because fasting was obligatory upon one person only?
Answer: It does not mean that, because the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “let his heir fast on his behalf” include all the heirs. So if we assume that a man has fifteen sons, and each of them wants to fast two out of thirty days, that is acceptable. If there are thirty heirs and each of them fasts one day, that is acceptable, because they will have fasted thirty days. It makes no difference whether they fast on one day, or one fasts on one day, then the second one fasts on the next day, (and so on) until they have completed thirty days.
End quote fromash-Sharh al-Mumti‘(6/452)
Fourthly:
If a person performs Hajj or ‘Umrah on behalf of his parents, and he has performed Hajj on his own behalf before that, then the reward of that Hajj or ‘Umrah will reach his parents, and that action on the part of the son will be a kind of honouring and kindness towards his parents.
Muslim (1939) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whilst I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a woman came to him and said: I gave a slave woman in charity to my mother, who has now died. He said: “Your reward is due; you may take (the slave woman) back by virtue of your inheritance.” She said: O Messenger of Allah, she owes one month’s fast; can I fast on her behalf? He said: “Fast on her behalf.” She said: She never did Hajj; can I do Hajj on her behalf? He said: “Do Hajj on her behalf.”
It says inFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah(25/257): With regard to your doing Hajj and ‘umrah on behalf of your father, that is part of honouring him and showing kindness to him. And if you give charity on his behalf from time to time, and you offer supplication for him, pray for forgiveness for him, uphold ties of kinship with his relatives, and treat his friends kindly, then that is a way of honouring your father after his death, and you will have a great reward, in sha Allah, for whatever you spend for that purpose.
And Allah knows best.

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Making Up Missed Prayers, - Dought & clear, - * She used to pray but she was not aware of the obligation of ghusl after menses

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We would like you to tell us the ruling on a girl who reached the age of puberty but was not aware that it is obligatory to do ghusl after menses in order to be able to pray. She used to pray without realising that it was obligatory to do ghusl, until after that she found out about that ruling. What is the ruling on her past prayers, and does she have to make up those prayers now, after learning about ghusl?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The Muslim is obliged to learn those rulings of sharee‘ah that he needs to know and cannot do without, such as the rulings on purification, prayer and so on, and before all of that he needs to know about the Oneness of Allah (Tawheed), even if that is in general terms, and to know that which nullifies Tawheed and faith, so that he will worship Allah, may He be exalted, on the basis of knowledge.
Fathers and mothers must teach their children what they need to know of Islamic rulings, including the purification and prayer.
This is one of the rights that children have over their parents.
Secondly:
If a person is unaware of the rulings on purification, and he prays with invalid purification out of ignorance on his part, then there is no sin on him and he does not have to make up those prayers that he offered with imperfect purification.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Based on that, if a person does not purify himself as he is obliged to because the text did not reach him, such as if he eats camel meat and does not do wudoo’ after that, then the text reaches him and it becomes clear to him that wudoo’ is required in this case, or he prays in the camel pens, then the text reaches him and the ruling becomes clear to him, does he have to repeat his past prayers? There are two scholarly opinions, both of which were narrated from Ahmad.
A similar case is if he touches his penis then prays, then it becomes clear to him that it is obligatory to do wudoo’ after touching one’s penis.
The correct view in all these cases is that he does not have to repeat the prayers, because Allah pardons things done by mistake or because of forgetting, and because He says (interpretation of the meaning):“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)” [al-Isra’ 17:15].
If the command of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning a particular matter did not reach a person, then the ruling that it is obligatory was not proven in his case. Hence in the case of ‘Umar and ‘Ammaar, when they became junub and ‘Umar did not pray whilst ‘Ammaar did pray after rolling in the dust, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not instruct either of them to repeat the prayer. Similarly, he did not instruct Abu Dharr to repeat the prayer when he used to become junub and remained for several days without praying. And he did not instruct the Companion who ate until he could clearly distinguish the white thread from the black thread to make up the fast. And he did not instruct those who prayed facing towards Jerusalem before news reached them that this ruling (of facing Jerusalem when praying) had been abrogated to make up those prayers.
A similar case is that of the woman who was suffering from istihaadah (irregular, non-menstrual bleeding) and did not pray for a while because she thought that prayer was not obligatory in her case. There are two scholarly views as to whether she is obliged to make up the prayers. The first view is that she is not required to do so – as was narrated from Maalik and others – because when the woman who was suffering from istihaadah said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): I bleed very heavily and that has kept me from praying and fasting, he told her what she had to do in the future, but he did not instruct her to make up prayers from the past.
It is proven to me through the mutawaatir reports that among women and men in the desert and elsewhere there are those who reach the age of puberty and are not aware that prayer is obligatory for them. In fact, if a woman is told to pray, she says, Not until I am older and become an old woman! – thinking that prayer is only obligatory for old women and the like. Among the followers of the shaykhs (i.e., Sufis) there are many groups who do not know that prayer is obligatory for them. In these cases they are not required to make up the missed prayers, according to the correct opinion.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa(21/101, 102)
And Allah knows best.

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Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * Is there any textual proof that Makkah al-Mukarramahis the centre ofthe earth?

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I heard that Makkah al-Mukarramah is the centre of the earth. Is that true?
Praise be to Allah.
Study of this issue may be viewed from two angles:
- the shar‘i angle, which means looking for proof in the Qur’an, hadeeth and athaar (reports) that have been narrated concerning this topic;
- the scientific angle, which means looking at scientific research and physical proof that will make the matter clear.
With regard to the shar‘i aspect, some of the scholars stated that in the Qur’an there are references to this point of view, and that in the Prophet’s Sunnah and reports from the early generations there are clear statements to that effect.
With regard to the references in the Qur’an, that is seen in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Thus We have made you a middle nation”
[al-Baqarah 2:143]
because the verse appears in the context of taking the Ka‘bah as a qiblah or direction faced in prayer, so it is as if the verse means: just as the Ka‘bah is the middle of the earth, so too We have made you a middle nation among other nations.
Al-Qurtubi said inal-Jaami‘ li Ahkaam al-Qur’an(2/153):
What is meant is that just as the Ka‘bah is the middle of the earth, so too We have made you a middle nation.” End quote.
But this is one of six interpretations that the commentators have mentioned Concerning the words “Thus We have made you”; perhaps the most correct of them is that which was mentioned by Ibn Jareer at-Tabari in hisTafseer(3/141):
As We have guided you – O believers – by means of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and by means of what he has brought to you from Allah, and We have singled you out by guiding you to the qiblah and path of Ibraaheem, and We have favoured you thereby over the followers of other religions, so too We have singled you out and favoured you above the followers of other religions, by making you a middle nation. End quote.
See:Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeem, 1/454;Mafaateeh al-Ghayb, 2/387;ad-Durr al-Masoon, 2/134
Moreover, there is a reference to that in the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And this (the Quran) is a blessed Book which We have sent down, confirming (the revelations) which came before it, so that you may warn the Mother of Towns (i.e. Makkah) and all those around it”
[al-An‘aam 6:92].
Some of the scholars said that Makkah was only called the Mother of Towns (Umm al-Qura) because it is the origin of all towns on earth, and from it the earth spread out; hence it is the centre of the earth.
Indeed, some of the scholars said that its name, Makkah, indicates that it is the centre and middle of the earth.
Ar-Raaghib al-Asfahaani said inMufradaat al-Qur’an(1/470-471):
The name is derived from the verbmakkaka, which refers to the action of sucking out marrow from a bone, or the action of a young animal suckling from its mother.
It is so called because it wouldtamukkuwhoever did wrong therein, i.e., it would crush him and destroy him.
Al-Khaleel said: It is so called because it is the centre of the earth, like the marrow which is in the middle of the bone. End quote.
See:Mafaateeh al-Ghayb, 4/310 for many other suggestions concerning the derivation of the name Makkah.
To sum up, the Qur’an does not contain any clear text or indication that Makkah al-Mukarramah or the Ka‘bah is located at the centre or middle of the earth. The reports to that effect are no more than possible interpretations and ambiguous indications.
Secondly: with regard to the marfoo‘ hadeeths, i.e., those with isnaads going back to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we tried to compile them from the books of the Sunnah, so that we could examine all their isnaads and reports, but we could not find anything but one marfoo‘ hadeeth on this topic, which is as follows:
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“The first spot to be created on earth was the location of the House (the Ka‘bah), then the earth spread out from there. And the first mountain that Allah placed on the surface of the earth was Abu Qubays, then the mountains spread out from there.”
Al-Mannaawi said inFayd al-Qadeer(3/108):
“then the earth spread out from there” on all sides, so it is the centre of the earth and its pole. End quote.
But this hadeeth was narrated by al-‘Aqeeli inad-Du‘afa’ al-Kabeer, 2/341; al-Bayhaqi inMusnad al-Firdaws, 1/1/11; Ibn ‘Asaakir inTareekh Dimashq, 10/31. Inal-Jaami‘(9603) as-Suyooti attributed it to al-Haakim in hisTareekh.
All of them narrated it via Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan, (who said): ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Ajlaan al-Qurashi told us: ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Jurayj told us, from ‘Ata’, from Ibn ‘Abbaas, in a marfoo‘ report.
This hadeeth is flawed because ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Ali is unknown, and because the chain of narration ends with ‘Ata’ or Mujaahid.
This ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Ajlaan ad-Dimashqi narrated from Ibn Jurayj and from ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Thabit ibn Thawbaan; Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan, ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthmaan al-Homsi and his grandson Shaybah ibn al-Waleed narrated from him.
Nobody suggested that ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Ajlaan ad-Dimashqi was trustworthy except Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan, and this was mentioned by Ibn ‘Asaakir in his biography of ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan inTareekh Dimashq(35/133). But this Sulaymaan – who is Abu Ayyoob ad-Dimashqi – is subject to some criticism; he was criticised for his frequent narration from unknown narrators. Ibn Ma‘een said concerning him: He is trustworthy if he narrates from known narrators. Ibn Hibbaan said: His hadeeth is acceptable if he narrates from well-known, trustworthy narrators. But if he narrates from unknown narrators, then his reports are objectionable (munkar). See his biography inTahdheeb al-Kamaal(12/26). Hence the scholars did not think that Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan was trustworthy, because of some of those from whom he narrated. Al-‘Aqeeli described ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Ali as unknown (majhool), and he regarded his hadeeth as flawed. He said in his biography of him inad-Du‘afa’(2/341): He is majhool (unknown) with regard to transmission of hadeeth.
‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez told us: Abu Na‘eem told us, al-Haarith ibn Ziyaad al-Ja‘fi told us: I heard ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah say: The first mountain to be placed on earth was Abu Qubays.
Abu Yahya ibn Abi Masarrah told us: my father told me: Sa‘eed ibn Saalim al-Miqdaah told us, from Ibn Jurayj, from Mujaahid, who said: The first spot (to be created) of the earth was the site of the House (the Ka‘bah), from which the earth spread out.
Abu Ja‘far said: This report is more likely to be correct. End quote.
Something similar to this hadeeth was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), as we shall see below. This explains the confusion of those who attributed the hadeeth to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It was classed as da‘eef by al-Albaani inas-Silsilah ad-Da‘eefah, no. 5881
Thirdly:
Among the reports of the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een, there are many reports which indicate that they used to think that the centre of the earth was in Makkah al-Mukarramah.
1.
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said:
Allah created the House (the Ka‘bah) two thousand years before the earth … then the earth spread out from beneath it.
Narrated by at-Tabari in hisTafseer, 6/20 with an isnaad of which the narrators are trustworthy (thiqaat). Inad-Durr al-Manthoor(2/265) it is attributed to Ibn al-Mundhir, at-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi inash-Shu‘ab.
2.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The House (the Ka‘bah) was placed over the water on four pillars, two thousand years before this world was created, then the earth spread out from beneath the House.
Narrated by at-Tabari in hisTafseer, 3/61, with an acceptable isnaad.
3.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Ka‘bah was created two thousand years before the earth. They said: How could it be created before it, when it is part of the earth? He said: There was an island on the water, on which there were two angels who glorified Allah by night and day for two thousand years. Then when Allah wanted to create the earth, He spread it out from there and made it in the middle of the earth.
Inad-Durr al-Manthoor(1/115) this is attributed to Sa‘eed ibn Mansoor, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abi Haatim. I found its isnaad inMajlis Imla’ fi Ru’yat Allah tabaarak wa ta‘aalaby Abu ‘Abdullah al-Daqqaaq (p. 287), and inAmaali Ibn Bashraan(2/204). Its isnaad includes Abu Ma‘shar Nujayh ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Madani, whose biography is inTahdheeb al-Tahdheeb(10/422). Most of the hadeeth scholars are of the view that he is da‘eef (weak).
Among the Taabi‘een:
Something similar was narrated from Mujaahid, ‘Ata’, ‘Amr ibn Dinar and others, as is stated by Ibn Abi Haatim and at-Tabari in theirTafseers, and also inMusannaf ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq(5/90). Among the books that narrated many such reports isAkhbaar Makkahby al-Azraqi andAkhbaar Makkahby al-Faakihi.
These reports may be deemed marfoo‘ (attributable to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), but they may also be narrated from the People of the Book, because their books are filled with stories of the creation of the heavens and earth and the beginning of creation. That is supported by the fact that the previous report was narrated from Ka‘b al-Ahbaar. It was also narrated from him by ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq inal-Musannaf(5/95) that he said: The House (the Ka‘bah) was floating on the water forty years before Allah, may He be exalted, created the earth, and from it the earth spread out. End quote.
It was narrated from Qataadah (may Allah have mercy on him) – inFadaa’il as-Sahaabahby Imam Ahmad (2/901) – that the rock of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) is the centre of the earth.
This makes one feel that this matter is taken from the contradictory reports from the People of the Book.
Fourthly:
From the above, we conclude that there is no clear proof to strongly indicate that Makkah al-Mukarramah is the centre is the earth. Rather the indications that we have quoted from some texts, according to what some of the scholars understood from them, and the reports mentioned above, makes one feel that there is some basis for this idea. This is circumstantial evidence that supports the view of those who say that, so long as there is no evidence to the contrary from sound scientific proof.
Fifthly:
With regard to the scientific angle, we are not specialists in geography, so we have to leave the discussion here. But we will tell you of some specialist scientists who have researched this matter and reached the conclusion that Makkah al-Mukarramah is indeed the centre of the earth. Perhaps in their scientific research there is something that will support this view, whilst the matter is still subject to research, and in the end it is something that is subject to ijtihaad that may or may not be correct.

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Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * Response to a misguided person who objects to the idea that Allah sent His Messenger as amercy to the worlds

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I have a colleague at work who is not Muslim. When I try to call him to Islam and tell him that Islam is a great religion, and how the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the greatest of mankind, and the greatest person who ever trod this earth, and that he is a mercy to the worlds and indeed to all creatures, he always replies by saying: How can Muhammad be a mercy to the worlds when he cut off people’s hands and feet and crucified them, and even left them in the desert to die(Saheeh al-Bukhaari)? And he killed the Jews in front of their wives then raped them? He believes that the words mercy and kindness must be omitted from any translation and he says: you will never make me believe in a God who burns people until their skins have gone, then will give them new skins in order to burn them again, and will repeat that for eternity, and this is in the Qur’an; is this a mercy and kindness in your eyes? I hope that you can explain, because I tried to tell him that this is not true, or that these things are not correct, but he comes to me with hadeeths that support what he says, and he asks how could the Prophet cut off the heads of seven hundred Jews in the marketplace of Madinah in a single day, then take their wives and children as slaves and captives? I do not know how to respond to him, and I feel very distressed. I hope you can help me.
Praise be to Allah.
Yes, Allah, may He be exalted, did indeed send His Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as a mercy to the worlds, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for the Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:107].
Al-Haakim narrated inal-Mustadrak(100) that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O people, I am but a divinely-bestowed mercy.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami‘, 2345
Some people accepted this mercy and some refused it.
As-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He is His mercy and a guide to His slaves. So those who believe in him accepted this mercy, were grateful for it, and lived in accordance with it, whereas others rejected it and responded to the blessing of Allah with ingratitude, and refused to accept the mercy and blessing of Allah.
Tafseer as-Sa‘di(p. 532).
Hence Allah, may He be exalted, said of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):“for the believers (he SAW is) full of pity, kind, and merciful” [at-Tawbah 9:128].
So he is a mercy to the worlds and kindness to the righteous; but he is vengeance against the disbelievers and punishment for the evildoers.
If a person rejects mercy, he will not be one of its people. This is well known and well established in people’s minds on the basis of both Islamic teaching and reason. If he is not one of the people of mercy, then he will be one of the people of punishment. Thus the rulings of sharee‘ah are in accordance with sound reason and are supported by fair examination.
These people whose hands and feet the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cut off and left them in the open did not accept the mercy of Allah; they spread mischief in the land, shed blood that was protected by Islamic law, and harmed the slaves of Allah. So it was essential to eradicate them and rid the land and people of them. Such people cause trouble and spread mischief, and if no one puts a stop to them with a firm hand, they will not be prevented from spreading mischief in the land. Thus they become like a diseased limb in the body, when it is injured and becomes infected, and the infection slowly starts to spread; then there is no option but to cut it off and eliminate it; if it is not eliminated and is left as it is, the entire body will die because of it.
Al-Bukhaari (6390) and Muslim (3163) narrated from Anas that eight men from ‘Ukl came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they swore allegiance as Muslims, but they found that the land did not suit them and they fell sick. They complained about that to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he said: “Why don’t you go out with our herdsman to the camels and get some of their milk and urine?” They said: Yes. So they went out and drank some of their milk and urine, and they got better. Then they killed the herdsman and drove away the camels. News of that reached the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he sent men after them. They were caught and brought, and he ordered that their hands and feet be cut off and their eyes put out
Abu Qilaabah said: These people had stolen and killed and disbelieved after having believed, and they waged war against Allah and His Messenger. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (226).
These people were evildoers; they are to society what a diseased limb is to the body, and must be eradicated. This is part of perfect wisdom and mercy by means of which security is achieved in society. Evildoers can learn from what happened to these people and thus repent or refrain. But as for leaving them with no deterrent to stop them and others who would spread mischief in the land, that is tantamount to helping them in their evil doing and inciting people like them to commit similar actions. In that case the land would be ruined and people would not feel safe for their own lives, their honour, their children and their property. Anyone who studies history will find that this is undoubtedly true.
Based on that, the hadd punishment for waging war against Allah and His Messenger has been prescribed by Allah, may He be exalted, in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter.”
[al-Maa’idah 5:33].
This ruling is the utmost justice, wisdom and mercy. That is indicated by the fact that Allah says, immediately after that, (interpretation of the meaning):
“Except for those who (having fled away and then) came back (as Muslims) with repentance before they fall into your power; in that case, know that Allah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Maa’idah 5:34].
So Allah encourages people to repent and stop spreading mischief, and He punishes the evildoers and wreaks vengeance upon them so as to deter others like them from harming people. Is this not perfect wisdom and mercy?
Those who object to the religion, laws and rulings of Allah are concerned about those hands and feet that are cut off because of the evildoing of their owner, but they do not pay attention to this mischief that has been done to the people, whose lives, families and wealth have been affected because of these wrongdoers.
With regard to the killing of the Jews of Banu Qurayzah, they broke the treaty that had been made between them and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) at a time when the Confederates had surrounded him on all sides, and the Arabs were launching a joint campaign against the Muslims, and the enemy was coming at them from above them and from below them, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Remember Allah’s Favour to you, when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and forces that you saw not (i.e. troops of angels during the battle of Al-Ahzaab (the Confederates)). And Allah is Ever All-Seer of what you do.
When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah.
There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking.”
[al-Ahzaab 33:9-11].
The Jews broke their treaty with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and wanted to eradicate the Muslims and put an end to them altogether. So they formed an alliance with the party of the Shaytaan in order to achieve that; they became united behind a common goal, which was to put an end to Islam and its people.
If these people had been able to do what they wanted, which Allah by His mercy prevented them from achieving, then Islam and its people would have been wiped out and mankind would have remained until the Day of Judgment in a state of misguidance and disbelief.
What these Jews did of breaking the treaty and forming an alliance with the mushrikeen to wage war on the Muslims is one of the worst types of mischief in the land; it indicates that they had no respect for any treaty or promise, which is something well-known from them throughout the ages.
When Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, granted victory to His Prophet and His slaves the Muslims, these people who committed treason were brought, and they agreed to accept the verdict of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh willingly and by their own choice. His verdict concerning them was in accordance with the ruling of Allah, which was that their fighters should be executed and their women and children taken captive, as it says in al-Bukhaari (2716) and Muslim (3314).
Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: They were four hundred. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1508); classed as saheeh by him and by al-Albaani.
But the question now is: why did Safiyyah bint Huyayy (may Allah be pleased with her) agree to marry the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he had killed her father – who was one of the leaders of the Jews – and had killed her husband and her paternal uncle?? How did that come about? And how did she agree to it?
They will say that she agreed because she was afraid of him!
So why did she not apostatise after the death of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? Why did she not flee? Why did she live and die believing in him, obeying him and loving him, after what he had done to her and her family?
None of these misguided objectors dares to ask this question!
At-Tabaraani narrated inal-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer(177) that Ibn ‘Umar said: There was some greenness (i.e., bruising) around Safiyyah’s eyes, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What is this greenness around your eyes?” She said: I said to my husband: I dreamt that a moon fall into my lap. He slapped me and said: Are you hoping to marry the king of Yathrib? She said: Nothing was more hateful to me than the Messenger of Allah killing my husband and father. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) kept apologizing to me and said: “O Safiyyah, your father used to incite the Arabs against me, and he did such and such, and such and such,” until that feeling went away.
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inas-Saheehah(2739)
With regard to this objecter saying “he killed the Jews in front of their women folk then raped them,” this is false and is a lie and fabrication. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade killing women and children and hired workers in war. Abu Dawood (2295) narrated that Rabaah ibn Rabee‘ said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during a campaign, and he saw the people gathered around something. He sent a man, and told him: “Go and see what these people have gathered for.” He came back and told him that they had gathered around a woman who had been slain. He said: “This one could not have been fighting.” Khaalid ibn al-Waleed was in charge of the vanguard, so he sent a man and said: “Tell Khaalid that no woman or worker is to be killed.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Abi Dawood.
Among the Jews whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took captive, Allah blessed many of them with Islam; that was by Allah’s mercy towards them.
An-Nasaa’i (3376) narrated that ‘Atiyyah al-Qurazi said: On the day of Sa‘d’s verdict on Banu Qurayzah, I was still a boy and they were not sure about me, but they found that I did not yet have pubic hair, so I was allowed to live, and here I am living among you.
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh an-Nasaa’i.
In other words, he was still a minor so he was not killed; rather they let him live, then Allah blessed him with Islam and he said these words speaking of Allah’s blessing to him.
These people say what they say on the basis of lies, ignorance or misunderstanding, and their disbelief makes them accept fabrications; so do not pay any attention to them.
With regard to the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says of the disbelievers in Hell (interpretation of the meaning):“Surely! Those who disbelieved in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise” [an-Nisa’ 4:56]– here Allah, may He be exalted, is telling us about those who denied the signs of Allah and rejected His Messenger; He will burn them with Fire and roast them in it; every time their skins are burnt and roasted through, He will replace them with other skins, so that they may taste the punishment. SeeTafseer at-Tabari, 8/484
Who told these people that Allah will have mercy on the disbelievers and evildoers?
Or who told them that the humiliating punishment that Allah has prepared for disbelievers on the Day of Judgment is part of His mercy and kindness?
Do they think that Allah will have mercy on those who do not deserve mercy?
Or that Allah will treat the Muslims like the evildoers? Or that He will regard the pious as being like the immoral?
Will He treat those who sought to spread mischief, ruin and destruction like those who were righteous and strove to put things right?
The mercy of Allah is only for the doers of good among those of His slaves who believed in Him and in His Books and Messengers; as for those who stubbornly denied and rejected, Allah will not have mercy on them and theirs will be a painful punishment. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Surely, Allah’s Mercy is (ever) near unto the gooddoers”
[al-A‘raaf 7:56]
“He said: (As to) My Punishment I afflict therewith whom I will and My Mercy embraces all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqoon (pious), and give Zakat; and those who believe in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs and revelations, etc.)”
[al-A‘raaf 7:156]
“The believers, men and women, are Auliya (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoin (on the people) Al-Maroof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); they perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give the Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them”
[at-Tawbah 9:71]
“Verily! Those who believe not in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, Allah will not guide them and theirs will be a painful torment”
[an-Nahl 16:104]
“Declare (O Muhammad SAW) unto My slaves, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful.
And that My Torment is indeed the most painful torment”
[al-Hijr 15:49-50].
So Allah gave warning; He sent His Messengers, revealed His books and made manifest His signs, and He established clear proof, giving glad tidings to the believers and warning the disbelievers. So whoever was content with disbelief and chose it over faith will enter Hell, and he will have no one to blame but himself; by doing so he the worst of people in wronging his own soul and in transgressing against the rights of his soul.
If these people had an atom’s weight of fear in their hearts, that fear would lead them to believe and submit, even if that was only for fear that this threat and stern warning would come to pass and befall them. But they will never believe or submit; rather they argue and strive to extinguish the light of Allah.
So remain steadfast in adhering to your religion, O Muslim, and do not let those who have no certainty of faith cause you to falter.
If it were said to a rational person: Do not drink this poison, because if you drink it you will die, then he drinks it even though he is of sound mind and is aware of what he is doing, then who is to blame? Is it Allah Who created the poison and decreed death through it? Or is it the snake from which the poison was extracted? Or is it this man who drank it willingly?
Just as we submit to the divine decree and do not object to it, by the same token we must submit to the laws and not object to them.
You should not engage in argument with these people and you should point out to them the teaching of Islam that promote good, righteousness and proper conduct. Tell them how Islam spread throughout the world, and how people entered it in crowds, and how those who had previously been its enemies became its troops and supporters.
Why did ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl become a Muslim when Muhammad had killed his father?
Why did Umm Habeebah bint Abi Sufyaan become Muslim and marry the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) at the time when her father was one of his bitterest enemies and staunchest opponents?
Why did Hind bint ‘Utbah become Muslim when Muhammad had killed her father, her paternal uncle and her brother in a single battle?
You should understand that the religion of Allah is true, and that Allah does not break His Promise, and that He is the most merciful of those who show mercy, and that He sent His Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as a mercy to the worlds.
Let these people look at contemporary leaders and what they do to people who oppose them.
What would they say about America and what it has done to the peoples of the earth on the grounds of spreading democracy and values?
If this person who is objecting is a follower of Judaism or Christianity, then let him look in the Bible and see how the Israelite prophets fought those who disagreed with them and did not spare any man, woman or old person.
If he is a communist, then let him look at what Stalin and his followers did.
If he belongs to one of these groups, and he thinks that the truth is to fight for the liberation of people and rid them of oppressive regimes, then this is proof against him.
To sum up, mercy has its people and punishment and vengeance have their people. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent with mercy, just as he was sent with jihad and fighting his enemies. He is a mercy to all the worlds, both those who agree with him and those who disagree with him. As for those who agree with him, the matter is clear. As for those who disagree with him, it is by his conveying to them the message of their Lord and establishing proof against them, and not hastening the punishment for them.
Part of that mercy is to remove the oppressive group that is controlling the hearts and minds of the people around them, after warning them so that the majority may enjoy security and freedom. This is the philosophy of jihad as prescribed in Islam.
And Allah knows best.

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For children, - Quran Stories for Children:Why do we read Noble Qur'an, even we can't understand Arabic?

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An old Muslim lived on a farm with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Noble Qur'an.
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa, I try to read the Noble Qur'an just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Noble Qur'an do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.
Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The Grandfather said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The Grandfather said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Noble Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read the Noble Qur'an, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah (SWT) in our lives."
The best way to learn is to share what you have learned and practice it in your life

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